The present invention relates to drivers for interchangeable driver bits and, in particular, to drivers of the ratcheting type.
Ratcheting drivers are well known, as are drivers with interchangeable bits. Conventional ratchet mechanisms for ratcheting screwdrivers, for example, have pawls that extend in the axial direction defined by the screwdriver shaft and that have narrow extensions engageable with teeth of a gear provided on the shaft. The pawls are pushed into and out of engagement with the gear by a control member that is usually slidable in the axial direction. Such ratchet mechanisms occupy a significant proportion of the overall length of the screwdriver.
One type of ratcheting driver for interchangeable bits is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,852. That patent discloses a ratcheting arrangement wherein a ratchet body is press-fitted into a recess in one end of a handle and a cap telescopes over the body for rotation with respect thereto. The force transmission from the cap to the pawl assembly is indirect and involves a multi-part assembly.